Greg Johnson (ice hockey)

For other people named Greg Johnson, see Greg Johnson (disambiguation).

Gregory C. Johnson (March 16, 1971 – July 7, 2019) was a professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks, and Nashville Predators.

Greg Johnson
Born	(1971-03-16)March 16, 1971 Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
Died	July 7, 2019(2019-07-07) (aged 48)[1] Rochester, Michigan, U.S.
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	194 lb (88 kg; 13 st 12 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	Detroit Red Wings Pittsburgh Penguins Chicago Blackhawks Nashville Predators
National team	Canada
NHL draft	33rd overall, 1989 Philadelphia Flyers
Playing career	1994–2006
Medal record Representing Canada Ice hockey Olympic Games 1994 Lillehammer World Junior Championships 1991 Saskatchewan

In over 700 career NHL games, Johnson earned 350 points from 134 goals and 216 assists. His best season was in 1998–99 where he achieved 16 goals and 34 assists.

Playing career

Amateur

Born in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Johnson recorded 96 points in 47 games for the local Thunder Bay Flyers of the USHL in 1988–89.

Johnson played four years at the University of North Dakota where he led the WCHA in assists twice and was placed on the conference First All-Star Team three straight years from 1991 to 1993. He was also placed on the NCAA West First All-American Team in 1991 and 1993 and the Second Team in 1992.

Professional

Johnson was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers as the 33rd pick in the second round of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, but never played for the organization. On June 20, 1993, he was traded from the Flyers with future considerations to the Detroit Red Wings for Jim Cummins and a fourth round pick in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. Red Wings head coach and general manager Bryan Murray specifically targeted Johnson as a skilled center whom the Wings could develop.^[2]

Johnson spent parts of four seasons with the Red Wings from 1993 to 1997. On January 27, 1997, Johnson was traded by the Red Wings to the Pittsburgh Penguins for winger Tomas Sandstrom. The Wings, who were looking to add a more physical element and had depth down the middle, traded from a position of strength by sending the skilled center for the rugged veteran forward.^[3] The move paid off for the Wings, as they went on to win the 1996-97 Stanley Cup.

Johnson played the rest of the 1996–97 season and part of the 1997–98 season with the Penguins before being traded to the Blackhawks for Tuomas Gronman on October 22, 1997.

Johnson was the 23rd pick of the 1998 NHL Expansion Draft by the Predators from the Blackhawks.^[4] He would go on to spend the final seven years of his career with the team. Johnson was the second captain in Nashville Predators history,^[5] and served in that capacity from 2002 until 2006. He had previously served as an alternate captain from 1999 to 2002.

Johnson became part of an anomaly during the 2005–06 season when he was credited with scoring a goal before the start of a game against the Detroit Red Wings. On November 21, 2005, he scored a goal during the first period of a game that was eventually postponed after Red Wings defender Jiri Fischer suffered a cardiac arrest. The game was replayed on January 23, 2006, and, while the full game was replayed, Johnson's goal was allowed to stand, thus giving Nashville a 1–0 lead before the opening faceoff.

On August 14, 2006, Johnson signed a one-year contract to rejoin his former team, the Detroit Red Wings. In September 2006, during a routine preseason physical, an EKG test returned abnormal results. Johnson had further testing, and eventually decided to retire before training camp.^[6]

International play

Johnson earned a silver medal representing Canada at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics. He also played for the Canadian National Team in the 1992–93 and 1993–94 seasons.

Personal life

Johnson's brother Ryan was also a professional hockey player, playing for five teams over a fifteen-year NHL career.^[7]

On July 7, 2019, Johnson's wife Kristin found him dead in the basement of their Detroit home. No cause of death has been given, but police reports concluded that it was suicide by firearm.^[6] Johnson was 48 and survived by his wife and their two daughters.^[8]

On July 10, 2024, five years after his death, it was announced Johnson was posthumously diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).^[9][10]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1988–89	Thunder Bay Flyers	USHL		47	32	64	96	4		12	5	13	18	0
1989–90	University of North Dakota	WCHA		44	17	38	55	11		—	—	—	—	—
1990–91	University of North Dakota	WCHA		38	18	61	79	6		—	—	—	—	—
1991–92	University of North Dakota	WCHA		39	20	54	74	8		—	—	—	—	—
1992–93	University of North Dakota	WCHA		34	19	45	64	18		—	—	—	—	—
1992–93	Canada	Intl		23	6	14	20	2		—	—	—	—	—
1993–94	Canada	Intl		14	2	9	11	4		—	—	—	—	—
1993–94	Adirondack Red Wings	AHL		3	2	4	6	0		4	0	4	4	2
1993–94	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		52	6	11	17	22		7	2	2	4	2
1994–95	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		22	3	5	8	14		1	0	0	0	0
1995–96	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		60	18	22	40	30		13	3	1	4	8
1996–97	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		43	6	10	16	12		—	—	—	—	—
1996–97	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		32	7	9	16	14		5	1	0	1	2
1997–98	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		5	1	0	1	2		—	—	—	—	—
1997–98	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL		69	11	22	33	38		—	—	—	—	—
1998–99	Nashville Predators	NHL		68	16	34	50	24		—	—	—	—	—
1999–2000	Nashville Predators	NHL		82	11	33	44	40		—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	Nashville Predators	NHL		82	15	17	32	46		—	—	—	—	—
2001–02	Nashville Predators	NHL		82	18	26	44	38		—	—	—	—	—
2002–03	Nashville Predators	NHL		38	8	9	17	22		—	—	—	—	—
2003–04	Nashville Predators	NHL		82	14	18	32	33		6	1	2	3	0
2005–06	Nashville Predators	NHL		68	11	8	19	10		5	0	1	1	2
NHL totals				785	145	224	369	345		37	7	6	13	14

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1991	Canada	WJC			7	4	2	6	0
1993	Canada	WC	4th		8	1	2	3	2
1994	Canada	OG			8	0	3	3	0
Junior totals					7	4	2	6	0
Senior totals					16	1	5	6	2

Awards and honours

Award	Year
USHL
Forward of the Year	1989
Clark Cup (Thunder Bay Flyers)	1989
College
WCHA All-Tournament Team	1990, 1991	[11]
All-WCHA First Team	1990–91
AHCA West First-Team All-American	1990–91
All-WCHA First Team	1991–92
AHCA West Second-Team All-American	1991–92
All-WCHA First Team	1992–93
AHCA West First-Team All-American	1992–93

References

1. "Gregory James Johnson". The Chronicle-Journal. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
2. "Red Wings deal Cummins for Greg Johnson". The Argus-Press. Owosso, Michigan. Associated Press. June 21, 1993. p. 11.
3. "Penguins trade Tomas Sandstrom for Greg Johnson". apnewsarchive.com. January 27, 1997. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
4. "Here are your Nashville Predators".
5. "Greg Johnson, original member and former captain of Nashville Predators, dead at 48". The Chronicle-Journal. The Canadian Press. Retrieved July 10, 2009.
6. Tony Paul. "Death of former Red Wing Greg Johnson likely a suicide, police say". The Detroit News. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
7. "Q&A with Ryan Johnson". St. Louis Blues. May 4, 2008. Retrieved May 4, 2008.
8. "Former Preds captain Johnson dead at 48". TSN. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
9. Former NHL player Greg Johnson posthumously diagnosed with CTE
10. NHL veteran, former Nashville Predators captain Greg Johnson diagnosed with CTE
11. "WCHA Tourney History". WCHA. Archived from the original on July 2, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database

Sporting positions
Preceded by Tom Fitzgerald	Nashville Predators captain 2002–06	Succeeded by Kimmo Timonen